Whalers Village Maui Onion Festival

Dedicated to the cultivation and promotion of the world-famous Maui Kula Onion, the Maui Onion Festival has been a signature event at Whalers Village since 1990. It’s attended by thousands of visitors and residents every year and features a number of different activities, entertainment, food booths and more.

The festival starts on Friday, April 30th from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with a special three-course Maui Onion Pairing Dinner at Hale Aina Award-winning restaurant, Hula Grill. Dishes served will utilize the onion as an ingredient and will be paired with beer.

Tickets to this event are sold by Hula Grill. Call 808-667-6636 for more information.

Then on Saturday, May 1st, the festival gets into full gear with a host of fun activities appropriate for the whole family. Highlights include both keiki and adult raw onion eating contests, special cooking demonstrations and a recipe contest in which five Hale Aina Award-winning chefs will compete to see who's recipe comes out best.

Chef James McDonald demonstrates his recipe using the Maui onion. Photo: David Croxford

Cooking Demonstrations and Recipe Contest

Hale Aina Award-winning chefs David Paul Johnson, James McDonald, D.K. Kodama, Roy Yamaguchi and Russell Siu will all participate in this year's festival, offering recipes and putting their own recipes to the test in a special contest.